diff --git a/js-assembler/assemble.rkt b/js-assembler/assemble.rkt
index 888cc46..00dee23 100644
--- a/js-assembler/assemble.rkt
+++ b/js-assembler/assemble.rkt
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ EOF
   (cond
    #;[(current-emit-debug-trace?)
     (string-append 
-     (format "if(typeof(window.console)!=='undefined'&&typeof(console.log)==='function'){console.log(~s);\n}"
+     (format "if(typeof(window.console)!=='undefined'&&typeof(window.console.log)==='function'){window.console.log(~s);\n}"
                (format "~a" stmt))
      assembled)]
    [else
diff --git a/js-assembler/package.rkt b/js-assembler/package.rkt
index ecc0a7d..5c91548 100644
--- a/js-assembler/package.rkt
+++ b/js-assembler/package.rkt
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ EOF
 EOF
   (if manifest (format "manifest=~s" (path->string manifest)) "")
   (if with-legacy-ie-support?
-      "<!--[if IE]><meta http-equiv='X-UA-Compatible' content='IE=edge,chrome=1'><![endif]--><!--lt IE 9?><script src='excanvas.js' type='text/javascript'></script><script src='canvas.text.js'></script><script src='optimer-normal-normal.js'></script><!endif?-->"
+      "<!--[if IE]><meta http-equiv='X-UA-Compatible' content='IE=7,chrome=1'><![endif]--><!--lt IE 9?><script src='excanvas.js' type='text/javascript'></script><script src='canvas.text.js'></script><script src='optimer-normal-normal.js'></script><!endif?-->"
       "")
   title
   (string-join (map (lambda (js)
diff --git a/js-assembler/runtime-src/baselib-primitives.js b/js-assembler/runtime-src/baselib-primitives.js
index 43d653a..cec6231 100644
--- a/js-assembler/runtime-src/baselib-primitives.js
+++ b/js-assembler/runtime-src/baselib-primitives.js
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@
             var i;
             var result = NULL;
             for (i = str.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
-                result = makePair(baselib.chars.makeChar(str[i]), result);
+                result = makePair(baselib.chars.makeChar(str.charAt(i)), result);
             }
             return result;
         });
@@ -1022,7 +1022,7 @@
             var index = baselib.numbers.toFixnum(
                 checkNaturalInRange(M, 'string-ref', 1,
                                     0, firstArg.length));
-            return baselib.chars.makeChar(firstArg[index]);
+            return baselib.chars.makeChar(firstArg.charAt(index));
         });
 
 
diff --git a/world/kernel.js b/world/kernel.js
index 5d4f48b..9c5234f 100644
--- a/world/kernel.js
+++ b/world/kernel.js
@@ -132,7 +132,11 @@ var adaptWorldFunction = function(worldFunction) {
              },
              function(err) {
                  // FIXME: do error trapping
-                 console.log(err);
+                 if (window.console && window.console.log) {
+                     window.console.log(err);
+                 } else {
+                     throw err;
+                 }
              }].concat([].slice.call(arguments, 0, arguments.length - 1)));
     };
 };